The present invention relates to e-mail systems and, more particularly, to a banking system having an e-mailer controller which privately and securely delivers bank notices, advices and mandated periodic statements via the Internet, a network or the like. Moreover, the present invention is related to a banking system having multi-mode delivery of bank notices, advices and mandated periodic statements.
Presently, banks, credit unions or the like (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cbanking institutionsxe2x80x9d) deliver to each of their customer""s a mandated periodic statement of transactions (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cmandated periodic statementxe2x80x9d) affecting the customer""s account and other bank notices and advices. However, the format of the mailed mandated periodic statement differs from one banking institution to another. For example, some banking institutions include the actual paper document of each cleared check itemized in the mandated periodic statement. Thus, after printing the mandated periodic statement, the envelop is stuffed with both the printed mandated periodic statement and the cleared checks. Nevertheless, other banking institutions do not provide the paper document of each clear check.
On the other hand, some banking institutions are equipped with a proof-of-deposit (POD) imaging system which scans at least the front view of cleared checks and stores the scanned image of such front view. Those banking institutions with a POD imaging system include, in their mailed mandated periodic statement, at least the front view of the scanned image of cleared checks. Hence, the mailed mandated periodic statement may be delivered to the customer either in a printed form or, alternately, an electronic form via a Compact Disk or the like. While such electronic form of the mailed mandated periodic statement has its advantages for long term storage and retrieval by the customer, the Compact Disk or the like is still mailed to the customer via the postal service. Thus, little cost savings have been incurred by the banking institutions to provide such alternative.
Several systems have been patented which are aimed at electronic statements.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,955, issued to Doggett et al., entitled xe2x80x9cELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER INSTRUMENTS,xe2x80x9d discloses that the payer""s and payee""s banks provide statements or reports to the payer and the payee, respectively, regarding their electronic check transactions. These statements may be generated electronically or on paper. Further, the payer""s bank may include a copy of the electronic check with the payer""s statement. It should be noted, that these checks are described in the Doggett et al. patent as similar to paper checks. However, the Doggett et al. patent does not teach that the statements are privately and securely e-mailed. Instead, the Doggett et al. patent illustrates the statements being provided to the payer (customer) in a manner separate and distinct from the Internet or the e-mail network.
Other feature described in the Doggett et al. patent include the Application Programming Interface (API) which processes ancillary electronic messages, such as acknowledgment of deposit, returned checks, and electronic statements. However, the electronic statements are not described as mandated periodic statements.
The Doggett et al. patent also describes the security and authentication procedures used when sending an electronic financial instrument. The Doggett et al. patent describes the use of electronic digital signatures and public key cryptography. As described, a consumer electronically receives a memorandum which may contain the payee""s digital signature generated by the payee""s secure authenticator using public key cryptography. The payer (customer) validates the payee""s signature by using the payer""s public key to verify the payee""s digital signature and, thereby, authenticates the payee. Furthermore, digital representation of a verifiable certificate by an institution of authenticity of the instrument is appended to the instrument. Additionally, the Doggett et al. patent also describes creating and maintaining account certificates and bank certificates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,206, issued to Hilt et al., entitled xe2x80x9cELECTRONIC BILL PAY SYSTEM,xe2x80x9d describes, in brief, xe2x80x9cmaterialxe2x80x9d which refers to documents and/or information, whether paper-based (xe2x80x9cpostal mailxe2x80x9d), electronic (e-mail, messages, packets, etc.) or other transfer medium. Furthermore, the xe2x80x9cmaterialxe2x80x9d is described to include a statement which is sent from Bank C to confirm that a transaction has gone through. Otherwise, the Hilt et al. patent is essentially silent with respect to the method of transmission or contents of such statement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,787, issued to Simmons, entitled xe2x80x9cELECTRONIC CHECKBOOK WITH AUTOMATIC RECONCILIATIONxe2x80x9d discloses an Electronic Check Register (ECR) that can fit in the check book cover slot wherein the ECR communicates with a host Automatically Balanced Checking (ABC) system. The Simmons patent provides a statement that not only reflects all transactions (including those just prior the automatic reconciliation) but displays, on the statement, the full check image with (in addition to the usual check number, date and amount) complete Payee and Purpose of Payment information to allow the user to print up to the minute transactions. However, the full check image of the Simmons patent is not described as a pictorial image of the actual paper check and is illustrated as a printed line of text conveying the check number, date, amount, etc. Additionally, the Simmons patent discloses the use of electronic mail for the transmission of notifications regarding potential errors. Furthermore, the Simmons patent discloses a communication module with a modem permanently attached enabling the user to communicate with the host over a telephone line. Thus, the communications with the host are initiated by the user and not the banking institution.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,739,512, issued to Tognazzini, entitled xe2x80x9cDIGITAL DELIVERY OF RECEIPTSxe2x80x9d discloses sending electronically, via e-mail, a digital receipt of a transaction, such as, the result of a purchase using a vendor""s system or a credit card company. The appendage of a digital signature to the digital receipt information is described as insuring authenticity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,528, issued to Hogan, entitled xe2x80x9cSYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BILL DELIVERY AND PAYMENT OVER A COMMUNICATION NETWORKxe2x80x9d discloses, in a second embodiment, a billing system which sends the user electronic bills in the form of electronic mail to their e-mail address. The user has the ability to view the electronic bill. Unlike the Hogan invention, the mandated periodic statement of the present invention includes pictorial images of cleared checks. Moreover, the Hogan patent is silent with respect to security and verification aspects of the e-mailed bills.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,089, issued to Bucci, entitled xe2x80x9cMETHOD FOR THE CONSOLIDATION SUMMARIZATION AND TRANSMISSION OF A PLURALITY OF MAILABLE MATERIALSxe2x80x9d discloses a Universal Mail Transmittal Service which establishes a database of customer information, statements, bills, etc., for addressees from different subscribers. The Universal Mail Transmittal Service accumulates input records for each identified address which is later developed into a unitized transmission which can be printed. The unitized transmission is intended to include billing information from numerous institutions/subscribers. The Bucci patent further describes, as an option, electronically transmitting the accumulated information to end users by an appropriate modem, tape or disk. Although, the Bucci patent mentions in the xe2x80x9cBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONxe2x80x9d that banks and other institutions mail records, bills and other documents monthly, the use of the Universal Mail Transmittal Service by banks is not described.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,550, issued to Campbell et al., entitled xe2x80x9cTRANSMISSION OF CHECK IMAGES BY WAY OF PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORKxe2x80x9d discloses, in general, sending from one institution (the bank of first deposit) to another institution (the payor bank) images of checks including both back and front images over a public switched telephone network via a check image processing node providing check clearance services. The check imaging equipment, as described, may comprise systems which scan the front face, the back face or both the front and back faces of a check, as required, to create a series of intensity or color signals for each picture element making up the scanned surfaces of the check. The check image processing equipment may be facsimile equipment, character recognition equipment, an e-mail system or any other image processing equipment by which the images received may be displayed or used by the receiving institution.
It can be readily seen that there exists a continuing need for a banking system having multi-mode delivery of bank notices, advices and mandated periodic statements wherein the banking system integrates into it""s existing system an e-mail controller which strips or purges from a batch of records (adapted to be printed for mailed delivery of bank notices or advices or mandated periodic statements) those records which are associated with e-mail recipient customers and e-mails the stripped or purged records instead of printing such records. Thereby, there is little or no need to reprogram or reconfigure the existing banking system to accommodate e-mail transmissions of bank notices or advices and the mandated periodic statements.
It can be readily seen that there is a continuing need for an e-mailer controller which is adapted to append pictorial check images to the mandated periodic statements.
There is still a continuing need for an electronic-mail bank system which sends mandated periodic statements and bank notices or advices to e-mail recipients via the Internet, other e-mail networks or the like.
Moreover, there is still a continuing need for an electronic-mail bank system which sends electronically-mailed bank notices or advices and mandated periodic statements. securely and privately.
As will be seen more fully below, the present invention is substantially different in structure, methodology and approach from that of the prior systems providing electronic statements.
The preferred embodiment of the e-mailer controller of the present invention solves the aforementioned problems in a straight forward and simple manner.
Broadly, what is provided is an e-mailer controller which is adapted to interface with an existing bank system providing printed bank notices or advices and mandated periodic (monthly) statements to e-mail bank notices or advices and mandated periodic (monthly) statements to those customers designated as e-mail recipients. An existing bank system equipped with an e-mailer controller can function as an electronic-mail banking system when all the banking institutions"" customers are e-mail recipients.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller for use in a banking system comprising: an electronic formatted mandated periodic statement shell adapted to have inserted therein a text record of a plurality of banking transactions for a customer account; an image link appender capable of inserting at least one image link in said electronic formatted mandated periodic statement shell wherein said at least one image link defines an electronic path to at least one pictorial image of a hardcopy bank instrument identifying at least one bank transaction of said plurality of bank transactions; a document assembler adapted to assemble a mandated periodic statement from said electronic formatted mandated periodic statement shell and said at least one pictorial image; an electronic-mail creator which formats the assembled mandated periodic statement using a standardized electronic-mail transfer protocol into an electronic mandated periodic statement mail; and, an electronic-mailer adapted to securely and privately electronically mail said electronic mandated periodic statement mail to an e-mail address for said customer account via the Internet, other e-mail networks or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide pictorial images in the electronically mailed mandated periodic statement of at least one hardcopy bank instrument wherein hardcopy bank instruments include serial numbered hardcopy bank instruments and/or non-serial numbered hardcopy bank instruments.
A further object of the present invention is to provide pictorial images of hardcopy bank instruments in accordance with customer preferences.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller which e-mails privately and securely bank notices or advices, such as, without limitation, account sweep transactions, NSF notice, deposit correction notices, etc.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an e-mailer controller which e-mails NSF notices which may include the pictorial check image of the front view, back view or front and back views of a returned check.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an e-mailer controller which employs the Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions protocol (S/MIME) to digitally sign and encrypt with a session key or symmetric key the mandated periodic statement mail or the bank notice and advice statement mail.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller with an electronic-mailer which includes an electronic digital signature creator adapted to electronically sign the electronic mandated periodic statement mail with a banking institution""s digital signature; and, an encryptor adapted to encrypt the digitally signed mandated periodic statement mail.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a formatted mandated periodic statement shell which includes a graphic link wherein the graphic link identifies an electronic path to a banking institution""s letterhead or logo.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a formatted mandated periodic statement shell which is a HTML formatted document and wherein the at least one image link and the graphic link are HTML links.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a page-formatter which formats the assembled electronic mandated periodic statement using a page markup standard such as an Abode Acrobat file standard.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide the e-mailer controller with a customer preference database defining at least one customer preference for presentation of the hardcopy bank instruments in the mandated periodic statement and wherein the image link appender determines the at least one image link based on the at least one customer preference.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller which creates mandated periodic statements in accordance with preestablished customer preferences wherein the preestablished customer preferences include the manner in which pictorial images should be presented, such as, only front views of checks or hardcopy bank instruments, only back views of checks or hardcopy bank instruments, front and back views of checks or hardcopy bank instruments, a minimum dollar value for inclusion of pictorial images, and presentation of non-serial numbered hardcopy bank instruments initiating a bank transaction, such as deposit slips, withdrawal slips, etc.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller which further comprises: a port coupled to the banking system to transfer from the banking system a master text file of a plurality of text records wherein each record includes the plurality of banking transactions for the mandated periodic statement for a respective customer account; an e-mail recipient database identifying a plurality of customer accounts as e-mail recipients; and, a master file separator which separates from the master text file those records of the plurality of text records identified for the e-mail recipients into a first file and the remaining records of the plurality of text records are separated into a second file.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller with a router adapted to route the second file back to the banking system.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller which further comprises: an electronic formatted bank document shell adapted to have inserted therein a text record of a bank notice or advice for a respective customer account; wherein the document assembler is adapted to assemble a bank notice or advice statement from the electronic formatted bank document shell; wherein the electronic-mail creator is adapted to format the assembled bank notice or advice statement using a standardized electronic-mail transfer protocol into an electronic bank notice or advice statement mail; and, wherein the electronic-mailer is adapted to securely and privately electronically mail the electronic bank notice or advice statement mail to an e-mail address for the respective customer account via the Internet, other e-mail networks or the like.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an e-mailer controller which includes an image link appender which is adapted to insert at least one image link in the electronic formatted bank document shell wherein the at least one image link defines an electronic path to at least one pictorial image of a hardcopy bank instrument identified in the text record of the bank notice or advice.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an electronic-mail banking system comprising: means for cyclically assembling a mandated periodic statement of bank transactions identified for a predetermined cyclical time period and those pictorial images of a plurality of images of hardcopy bank instruments identifying at least part of the bank transactions to create an assembled mandated periodic statement mail for each account of a plurality of accounts; and, means for securely and privately e-mailing the assembled mandated periodic statement mail for the each account.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic-mail banking system further comprising means for determining a non sufficient fund status for clearing any of the checks for any of the plurality of accounts; means for creating an image of an NSF check; and, means for creating an NSF statement indicating the non sufficient fund status wherein the e-mailing means is adapted to electronically mail the NSF statement with the image of the NSF check.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an electronic-mail bank system comprising: means for creating a plurality of images of a plurality of hardcopy bank instruments for a plurality of accounts; means for cyclically generating a mandated periodic statement of bank transactions for a predetermined cyclical time period for each account of the plurality of accounts; means for assembling the mandated periodic statement and those images of the plurality of images identifying at least part of the bank transactions to create an assembled mandated periodic statement mail for each account; and, means for privately and securely e-mailing the assembled mandated periodic statement mail for each account.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an electronic-mail banking system comprising: means for creating a plurality of images of a plurality of hardcopy bank instruments for each account of a plurality of accounts; means for cyclically generating a mandated periodic statement identifying a plurality of bank accounting transactions for a predetermined cyclical time period for each account; means for linking those images of the plurality of images to the mandated periodic statement identifying at least part of the plurality of bank accounting transactions for the predetermined cyclical time; means for assembling the mandated periodic statement and those images of the plurality of images to create an assembled mandated periodic statement mail for each account; and, means for privately and securely e-mailing the digitally signed assembled mandated periodic statement mail for each account.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a multi-mode banking system comprising: means for creating a plurality of images of a plurality of hardcopy bank instruments for each account of a plurality of accounts; means for cyclically generating a mandated periodic text statement of a plurality of bank accounting transactions of a predetermined cyclical time period for said each account of said plurality of accounts; means for determining those accounts of said plurality of accounts which are for e-mail recipients; means for assembling said mandated periodic text statement and those images of said plurality of images identifying said plurality of bank accounting transactions of said predetermined cyclical time period to create an assembled mandated periodic text statement for said each account of said plurality of accounts; means for securely and privately e-mailing said assembled mandated periodic text statement for said those accounts of said e-mail recipients; and, means for printing said assembled mandated periodic text statement for any remaining accounts.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an electronic-mail banking system comprising: a central repository which cyclically creates a mandated periodic statement of bank transactions identified for a predetermined cyclical time period and identifies those image links to pictorial images of hardcopy bank instruments identifying at least part of said bank transactions for each account of a plurality of accounts; an image database having stored therein said images of hardcopy bank instruments; and, an e-mail controller, coupled to said central repository and said image database, which assembles an electronic mandated periodic statement and retrieves said pictorial images via said image links and securely and privately e-mails the assembled mandated periodic statement with the retrieved pictorial images for said each account.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the description given herein, and the appended claims.